Category: Lions News

Quick takeaways from the Lions’ Monday Night Football win over the Raiders

Post-game takeaways from the Lions win over the Raiders, including thoughts on Aaron Glenn’s defense, offensive mistakes, 3 stars of the game and more

Monday night’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders was a weird one for the Detroit Lions. It might have been the most dominant performance by the Lions all season in improving to 6-2, yet some critical mistakes prevented it from being a blowout on the scoreboard.

The Lions beat the visiting Raiders 26-14 on Monday Night Football, breaking out the new blue helmets. Detroit dominated everything but the scoreboard in the first home MNF game since 2018.

Here’s what I took away from watching the Lions rough up the Raiders in real-time.

Lions defense had the best pass rush game of any NFL team in the last five years

The Detroit Lions defense recorded the highest QB pressure rate by any team in a game since 2018 in win over the Raiders

Aaron Glenn dialed up a fantastic game plan to attack Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo and the Las Vegas Raiders offense. The Detroit Lions defensive coordinator was in his bag all night long in Monday night’s 26-14 win.

Glenn’s unit, coming off a lousy game in the Week 7 loss in Baltimore, had one of the most dominating performances by any NFL defense in years. The pass rush was the best by any team since 2018 in terms of generating pressure.

From Next Gen Stats,

“The Lions defense generated pressure on 71.4% of Jimmy Garoppolo’s dropbacks, the highest pressure rate by a defense in a game since 2018. Five different Lions defenders generated 3+ pressures. Garoppolo was sacked 6 times on the night.”

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill had six of those pressures and two sacks. Linebacker Alex Anzalone added two sacks and five pressures of his own, the same number as DE Aidan Hutchinson.

Garoppolo threw for 126 yards in completing just 10 of his 21 pass attempts. That lousy rate also reflected very well on the Lions’ defense, this time the coverage.

“The Lions defense also allowed the lowest completion percentage over expected (-20.1%) in a game this season. Garoppolo finished 10 of 21 for 126 yards & INT.

🔹 Jimmy G Comp Pct: 47.6%
🔹 Avg Completion Probability: 67.7%
🔹 Comp Pct Over Expected: -20.1%”

After the game, head coach Dan Campbell gave Glenn the game ball. He earned it with one of the best single games by any Detroit defense in the Super Bowl era.

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Jahmyr Gibbs: ‘I know every game I have a chance to do this’ after breakout game vs. Raiders

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs says, “I know every game I have a chance to do this” after putting up almost 200 yards on the Raiders

Monday night’s 26-14 victory by the host Detroit Lions over the Las Vegas Raiders could very well be remembered as the Jahmyr Gibbs breakout game. Detroit’s rookie running back stole the show with a dynamic performance in his seventh career game.

Gibbs had a phenomenal game. He rushed for 152 yards on 26 carries, including an electrifying 27-yard touchdown scamper where he bounced an inside run around the right corner and hit paydirt. The rookie also caught five passes for 34 yards.

After the game, he joined Scott Van Pelt on the ESPN set and gave a gracious, humble interview — one that was very difficult to hear over the cacophonous “let’s go Lions!” chant by scores of fans still in Ford Field some 30 minutes after the game ended.

“I go into every game with confidence, knowing my ability, knowing my offensive line,” Gibbs told Van Pelt. “I know every game I have a chance to do this.”

Gibbs talked about playing his role and not worrying about the fantasy football criticism when the fans erupted again.

“It’s amazing,” Gibbs said while acknowledging the crowd. “The fans did a great job for us. Appreciate all of them.”

Gibbs is the NFL leader in yards from scrimmage over the last two weeks, gaining 315 total yards. That’s come with starter David Montgomery out of the lineup with a rib injury. Gibbs “can’t wait” until they’re back together on the field after the bye week.

 

The Lions interior offensive line could all be out vs. Raiders

The Lions have major injury issues on the interior offensive line and could start 3 players in new spots

The interior offensive line for the Detroit Lions could look all new in Week 8. Injuries to the regular trio of starters have the Lions looking at moving three reserves into unfamiliar roles for the Monday Night Football date with the Las Vegas Raiders.

All three regular starters carry injury statuses into the Week 8 game. Left guard Jonah Jackson has already been ruled out with a high ankle sprain. Center Frank Ragnow is listed as doubtful with a calf injury. Ragnow did not practice all week. Right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai is questionable with a back issue listed, even though he’s coming off a stretch where he missed several games with a knee injury.

There’s a very real chance none of the three play against Las Vegas. If so, Monday night’s line could very well look like this in between bookend tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell:

LG Kayode Awosika

C Graham Glasgow

RG Colby Sorsdal

Awosika has one start at left guard, an up-and-down matchup against the Buccaneers. Glasgow started in that spot last week, with Vaitai on the right side. Moving into center isn’t foreign for the veteran, but he hasn’t played there in this tour of duty with the Lions.

It would be Sorsdal’s first NFL start. A fifth-round rookie from William & Mary, Sorsdal is a college tackle that the Lions have been training at guard. He’s played 36 career snaps — at right tackle in the Week 3 win against Atlanta.

Veteran Dan Skipper has starting experience at guard, but he’s the only healthy backup tackle on the roster. With fullback Jason Cabinda on I.R., the Lions would need Skipper in the extra tackle role that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson uses. Glasgow’s backup at center figures to be Michael Niese, currently on the practice squad. He has one preseason game of center experience with the Buccaneers but otherwise has been a guard throughout both college and the NFL.

It’s a troubling development for Detroit to have all the injuries. The run game will also be without top RB David Montgomery against the Raiders. This looks like a game where the depth must come through above its pay grades and experience for the Lions.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown downgraded for the Raiders game

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown downgraded for the Raiders game

For the second week in a row, the Detroit Lions downgraded a key player on the day before taking the field. This week, it’s the team’s top wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown.

St. Brown is now listed as questionable for Monday night’s game with an illness. He has been a full participant all week in practices and was not listed on the final injury status report. The nature of the illness is unknown.

Heading into Week 7, the Lions downgraded cornerback Jerry Jacobs with a knee injury. Jacobs did not play in that week’s loss to Baltimore.

Two Ravens fined for hits in Week 7 game against the Lions

Two Ravens fined for hits in Week 7 game against the Lions, and the bigger fine came on a play that wasn’t penalized

The Baltimore Ravens’ win over the Detroit Lions in Week 7 was an expensive one for a couple of Ravens players. Two of them were fined for illegal hits in the game against Detroit.

One of them came on a play that earned a penalty in the game. Ravens LB Roquan Smith was fined $16,391 for a hit on Detroit QB Jared Goff that drew a roughing-the-passer penalty on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The other fine comes from a play that resulted in no penalty, but a larger fine. Wideout Odell Beckham Jr. was fined $21,844 for lowering his helmet to initiate contact with Lions safety Kerby Joseph, also in the fourth quarter. Joseph had to leave the game to get cleared in the concussion protocol after being on the receiving end of the helmet-to-helmet hit from Beckham.

No Lions committed any fine-worthy offenses in Baltimore.

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Lions final injury report for Week 8 vs. Raiders

The Lions will be without some key offensive pieces

The Detroit Lions will be healthier entering their Week 8 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders than they have been in a few weeks. That’s the good news.

The bad news, alas, is that the offense will be missing key components to the rushing attack. Running back David Montgomery and left guard Jonah Jackson are both out with injuries.

In addition, center Frank Ragnow is listed as doubtful with a calf injury. Ragnow did not practice at all this week. No Lions player listed as doubtful and didn’t practice has ever been active for a game under head coach Dan Campbell.

On defense, the Lions could have everyone available that isn’t on the injured reserve. Josh Paschal did miss practice on Saturday with a knee issue and is listed as questionable. DT Benito Jones (ankle) and LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) are also questionable, as is right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (back).

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson back in the building but ‘hard to say’ if he’ll play again this season

Gardner-Johnson is still out with his torn pec, but Dan Campbell left the door open for a return

There was a welcome jolt of energy back at Detroit Lions headquarters this week. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was back with the team and making his presence felt on the practice field.

No, the reigning NFL leader in interceptions is not playing. He’s still sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in Week 2. But Gardner-Johnson, who might have a new name soon, came back and brought a nice lift to the defense. Head coach Dan Campbell sure appreciated seeing the vivacious defensive back in the building.

Campbell was asked if Gardner-Johnson might return from the pec injury before the end of the season.

“It’s hard to say,” Campbell said earnestly. “I know this — it’s good having him back. You do forget about just what he brings, his energy, until you see him back out there.”

He added,

“I know rehab is going well. He’s going good. It was good to see him.”

Campbell then nicely summed up the man known as Ceedy Duce,

“He is — He’s all energy, man.”

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Dave Fipp gave a very detailed breakdown of the Raiders special teams

Much like Dan Campbell, Fipp shows he can be incredibly knowledgeable and well-versed on the football side of things but also able to have some fun in his media sessions. 

Lions head coach Dan Campbell is well-known for his press conferences. Campbell isn’t the only Lions coach who can take everyone for a ride in his press briefings.

Detroit special teams coordinator Dave Fipp has quickly attained must-watch status for his press conferences. Fipp is an engaging, folksy storyteller who does not stick to football. Last week he regaled everyone with country music and military graduation stories. This week, Fipp broke into stories about the movie American Pie and what to give out for Halloween.

So it might have caught folks off-guard when Fipp went into a very detail-oriented, lengthy scouting report on the Las Vegas Raiders and their special teams ahead of the Week 8 matchup between the two teams. Make no mistake, Fipp does his homework.

Here’s Fipp’s answer in its entirety (as transcribed by the Lions media relations staff):

“Yeah, you hit on it. This is a really good group. Have got a lot of respect for them. They’re an interesting group. Their (Raiders P AJ Cole) punter is just – I mean he’s a great player. He’s punting the ball 50 yards down the field, they’re outside the numbers, both ways. He gets a lot of width on it which makes it difficult for the return team, helps the cover unit. So, he gets a lot of width on the ball. He doesn’t outkick the coverage either necessarily. He puts it, like I said, about 50 yards down the field. He stretches the returner out, he makes that guy run right and left to catch the ball. He can look like he’s going right and go left, and look like he’s going left and go right, and still get the ball out there with a lot of width. So, really good player, and then – so that’s kind of them on their punt team. Their kickoff team – I mean and don’t get me wrong, they’ve got a bunch of good core players in there on their kickoff team. (Raiders LB Kana’i Mauga) 43, this guy runs down there, he’s going to go hammer you, and he’s a factor. And they’ve got a bunch of other good players, (Raiders DE Malcolm) Koonce, 51, (Raiders LB Luke Masterson) 59. They’ve got a bunch of speed guys, (Raider RB Ameer Abdullah) 22, (Raiders S Isaiah Pola-Mao) 20. They move guys all around. So, those guys have done a nice job, but their kicker’s also hung the ball up there really well with a lot of hang time. So, he presents a challenge and their present a challenge there. And then their return game, their returner, you guys know, I’ve talked about him before as a guy I love. Just a great story in this League, he’s a great person, really talented player, he knows who he is, he competes. The reason he’s there is because he’s just such a competitive player. He catches the ball, he’s a super quick starter, he hits everything full speed, he believes he’s going to make a play every time he touches it and he is downhill in a hurry and ripping it right back at you. So, it’s hard to get him down in kickoff coverage, hard to tackle him down inside the 25 because he just gets started so fast, and they do a nice job blocking for him. And they’ve got some nice plays that are built around his strengths really. I think (Raiders Special Teams Coordinator Tom) McMahon, their coach over there, does a real nice job with them. So, yeah, it’s a good team all the way around. We’ve got our hands full.”

Much like Campbell, Fipp shows he can be incredibly knowledgable and well-versed on the football side of things but also able to have some fun in his media sessions.

Injuries could force some tough decisions on the Lions starting offensive line

Injuries to Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow could force some tough decisions on the Lions starting offensive line against the Raiders

The quest to have the Detroit Lions desired starting five offensive linemen on the field together remains ever-elusive. Unfortunately, injuries have two projected starters potentially out for the Week 8 Monday Night Football matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Left guard Jonah Jackson and center Frank Ragnow each missed the first two days of practice this week with injuries. It’s not a surprise that Jackson sat out both days with his high ankle sprain; Jackson hasn’t practiced in two weeks and was considered very unlikely to play against the Raiders entering the week.

Ragnow’s unexpected absence proves more troublesome. The Pro Bowl center gets one day off every week as a veteran rest day to help his chronic toe injury. It’s always designated as such on the official injury report. This week is different.

Ragnow is listed as “did not participate” with a toe and a calf injury. The final injury status will come out later on Saturday, but it’s not promising at all that Ragnow hasn’t practiced either day.

If Ragnow can’t play against the Raiders, there will be some shuffling. Graham Glasgow filled in for Jackson last week at left guard and is the top reserve guard. But he’s also the backup center and the only other center on the roster, including the practice squad. Second-year Michael Niese has started one preseason game for the Buccaneers at center, but he’s been a guard going back through his college days at Temple and Dayton.

Glasgow sliding into center would mean Kayode Awosika moves back into the starting lineup at left guard. Awosika did that in the Week 6 win over the Buccaneers, with a mixed bag of results. Fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal and veteran Dan Skipper would represent the rest of the OL depth at all positions. Skipper does have experience playing guard and tackle, and the Lions are training college tackle Sorsdal to become a guard.

Given that left tackle Taylor Decker has not been 100 percent for weeks and right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai missed a month with a knee injury before returning last week (and playing very much like a guy who hadn’t played in a month), troubling decisions are possible.

Niese is one of three linemen on the practice squad, along with UDFA tackle Connor Galvin and international program player Max Pircher, who is primarily a tackle as well.

The hope is the Lions can limp through the game against the Raiders and get to the bye week to rest and rehab the myriad injuries.

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